Realizations and insights, profound experiences of
stillness and joy, do come. But it would be incorrect to
say that we are practicing to make these experiences
happen or that having more of them is better than
having fewer of them.
The spirit of mindfulness is to practice for its own
sake, and just to take each moment as it comes -
pleasant or unpleasant, good, bad, or ugly - and then
work with that because it is what is present now. With
this attitude, life itself becomes practice. Then, rather
than doing practice, it might better be said that the
practice is doing you, or that life itself becomes your
meditation teacher and your guide.
You Don't Have to Go Out of Your Way to
Practice
Henry David Thoreau's two years at Walden Pond
were above all a personal experiment in mindfulness.
He chose to put his life on the line in order to revel in
the wonder and simplicity of present moments. But
you don't have to go out of your way or find
someplace special to practice mindfulness. It is
sufficient to make a little time in your life for stillness